1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to transient voltage suppressor devices for reducing the deleterious effects of unwanted electromagnetic pulses, and more particularly to extremely low inductance transient voltage suppressor arrangements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many kinds of unwanted power surges occur in electronic systems. Where such systems contain sensitive electronic circuitry, components may be impaired or destroyed, rendering the electronics systems inoperative.
Various prior art devices have been used to protect against transient power surges. In particular, semiconductor PN junction devices have been connected in circuitry either as discrete devices or integrated into a semiconductor chip in order to counteract the deleterious effects of transient voltage pulses.
Such prior art surge suppression devices operate adequately for certain classes of transient pulses, particularly for those having relatively low power and slow rise times. However, certain types of transient voltage pulses, especially those arising from electrostatic discharges and electromagnetic pulses, have extremely fast rise times of the order of kilovolts per nanosecond. Such fast transient voltage pulses can frequently cause the destruction of a sensitive electronic component, such as a MOS integrated circuit, before the prior art surge suppression circuitry can react to the extremely high speed transient pulses. In the prior art surge suppressors, the electrical leads typically comprise a pair of conductors extending from opposite sides of a semiconductor chip which includes an avalanche mode transient voltage suppression device. In addition to being awkward and/or expensive to mount on a typical circuit board, such an arrangement has tended to introduce unwanted inductance into the discharge path thereby degrading the performance of the transient voltage suppression device. Thus, a need has existed to provide an improved transient voltage suppression arrangement for systems comprising sensitive electronic circuitry.